Biomechanics I

At the end of this course, the student should be able to: 1. demonstrate an ability to apply principles of tissue mechanics to explain the principles of P&O treatment, (involving various force systems) and the practical problems encountered in prosthetics and orthotics; 2. use biomechanical terminology to describe position and motion of the human body. 3. discuss mechanical principles governing human motion; 4. utilise temporospatial, kinematic and kinetic information to distinguish between normal and abnormal function of the upper limbs, lower limbs & Spine; 5. analyse the forces at a skeletal joint for various static and dynamic activities; 6. demonstrate the ability to analyse forces and moments applied to the body by prosthetic and orthotic devices; 7. apply biomechanical principles to generate optimal solutions to clinical problems in prosthetics and orthotics; and 8. explain the concepts of differentiation and integration and evaluate derivatives and integrals of a function.

Identification of the anatomical parts of the human body; Explaination of the following human anatomical terms; coronal plane, sagittal plane, medial, Lateral, superior, inferior. Draw annotated diagram of the human limbs – leg to show bones or joints; muscles. Draw annotated diagram of the human to body to show bones; limbs and muscle. Description of the function of the various bones, joints and muscles and their interaction in human movement. The planes and reference point of the human body. Types of joints in the body such as Upper & Lower limb joints; functions of the various joints in the body. The interactive biomechanical forces of the body. Various joints of the body using the full skeleton. Major muscles of the upper and lower limbs. Functions of the action of the various muscles of the body; agonistic and antagonists of the muscle action in the upper and lower limbs of the human body. Definition of terms: gait cycle, heel strike, stance phase, swing phase, toe-off. Description of the sub-divisions of the stance phase thus: Heel strike, Foot – flat, Mid – Stance, Push – Off. Description of the sub-divisions of the swing phase: (a) acceleration, mid-swing, deceleration. Description of the normal and abnormal human locomotion; human gait cycle. Explaination of normal and abnormal human gait cycle. Determination of the division of gait cycle. Definiton of the word “forces” and its application to various joints and muscle activity. Various forces in the upper and lower joints and muscles. Forces involved in normal human locomotion and gait cycle. Demonstration of the action of the gravitational force to joint motions in human locomotion. Explaination of the forces involved in walking; muscles that generate forces in various joints necessary for the following: support, balance, locomotion in relation to both upper and lower limbs; effect of external forces on normal human locomotion. Demonstration of the effect of external forces on normal human locomotion. POT 303, POT 305, POT 306 Learning Outcomes At the end of the course, student should be able to: 1. compare and contrast strategies for clinical assessment of patients and describe appropriate investigative techniques including patient history taking and physical examination; 2. recognise and describe the signs and symptoms of the most common pathologies which require orthotic solutions including, etiology, clinical presentation, prognosis and appropriate device management; 3. distinguish between the physical characteristics of the limbs and discuss the relative implication for device design; 4. describe and compare temporospatial and kinematics characteristics of normal and pathological gait and use this information to justify the selection and design of appropriate devices; 5. discuss biomechanical force systems and use these principles in generating an appropriate orthotic prescription; 6. describe the mechanics of materials and be able to apply these concepts to the design and construction of devices; 7. compare and contrast the functional characteristics of orthotic components. 8. formulate appropriate orthotic and prosthetic prescriptions for wide range clinical situations; 9. appreciate and describe the roles of key members of the rehabilitation team and identify how they interrelate with the Prosthetist/ Orthotist; 10. assess the medical condition of a patient related to their orthotic/ p r os t h et ic management using appropriate investigative techniques which include patient history taking and clinical testing; 11. formulate an optimal orthotic solution using information from the patient assessment, other members of the rehabilitation team, medical charts; 12. communicate and discuss patient goals and expectations and discuss and debate the orthotic or prosthetic management with the patient, co-workers and other members of the rehabilitation team; 13. reliably measure and capture a positive cast or image of clients’ appendage while correctly positioning the body part and if appropriate apply the necessary corrective force system; 14. create the final design of the orthosis through modification of the positive cast and/or tracing of the body part or, when indicated, measure and fit prefabricated devices; 15. identify, prescribe and justify selection of appropriate materials and componentry in the construction of the device; 16. construct the device using appropriate fabrication techniques in preparation for the initial fitting; 17. fit the device to the patient using static and dynamic functional criteria established from the original assessment; 18. evaluate the quality of the device fit to ensure the appropriate interface contouring, force application and trimlines; 19. identify problems related to device fit and/or alignment and be able to suggest and implement appropriate correction; 20. assess and solve orthotic problems as part of long-term patient care; 21. maintain accurate records of patient treatment and follow up as well as confidentiality of such information; 22. communicate effectively with patient, co-workers, and other health care professionals in such a manner that will ensure the highest quality of service and reflect a professional attitude on the part of the student; and 23. educate the client and/or caregiver on use, care and function of the device.